A Quest for 35mpg (Subaru Outback Limited Sedan 2.5L auto)

[brucey]

Just go to the gas station and pick up a 6 pack. There's yer motivation!

(Well liquor outlet or whatever since you're in PA)

[Zerohour]

Hahaha "Beer Distributor" and "Wine and Spirits" hahaha Pennsylvania is half retarded. We can't pave a level road either.

I have 12 pack + extras from a party a little while ago in the mini-fridge. It does need to be consumed soon.

I'm going to find a DVD to plug into the laptop and go down to the garage and get some work done. I also need to change my oil this weekend I'm at ~3200-3300. Last weekend sucked so much I said screw it. It will be interesting to see if there is any difference in oil quality since this is almost all rear gasoline except for one tank. And the entire time has been majority eco-driving.

[evilskillit]

I know it depends on the vehicle and the oil you use but my car's recommended interval is 7500. I change it every 5000-6000 just to be safe but thats still twice as far, aka half as expensive as a 3000 interval. Also I've only ever run Mobil 1 Synthetic in it since it was broken in. That may or may not help.

[Zerohour]

I believe last time I changed the oil I used the Vavloline Durablend. But this was in the beginning of summer? I was driving half the distance I am now. And usually I would be ripping hell through back roads. I believe the term abusive is more appropriate than spirited. I did the check the oil before my trip up to NY and it seemed good. But that was 800 miles ago. I haven't checked it recently, but the oil has been stressed over the entire summer and I'm sure its due. I don't really see the point of trying to pull few hundred more miles out of it unless its super clean. Last time I tried to go to 3500 and it ended at 3600. Oil was due at that point. But that was more more or less winter oil into the spring. I wasn't working in January and part of February, so my miles were much much less over winter and short in the spring with the short commute.

I'm thinking I may go full Synthetic this time and see how it goes.

I did play with the skirts tonight. I have the base set of holes drilled for the aluminum strap. Tomorrow I will drill those out, get the upper mount set. Then I'll go for the final trimming on the passenger side. trim and surface finish. with some luck I'll have the passenger side primed tomorrow. The Driver side needs more surface prep before I do the primer dusting and mock up for bolts/trimming. Night kids I'll post up pictures of tomorrows progress

[evilskillit]

Originally Posted by Zerohour

I'm thinking I may go full Synthetic this time and see how it goes.

Be careful, this may just be an old wives tale, but it happened to me both times. Supposedly if you put synthetic in an older car that hasn't previously run synthetic it'll make the thing leak. They say it cleans the gunk out that is stopping up all your holes and oil starts coming out. May be total BS but it happened to me on my 93 240sx, didn't leak all that bad but it did start leaking after I put Mobil 1 Synthetic in it. Also we had a 98 Subaru forester and it leaked BAD after we had it for a while and I started running synthetic in it. Like a quart every couple hundred miles from the rear main seal bad.

If you want to try it go for it, but something to consider from my experience. I put synthetic in my current car because I bought it new with no miles, broke it in for 500 with non-synthetic, changed it, broke it in for another 500 with more non-synthetic and its had nothing but Mobil 1 synthetic since. But on all the used cars we get, I just put whatever is cheapest in em.

[Zerohour]

I use Mobile Clean 5000 in my Contour. The Duratec motor ruins oil in 3,000 miles. Not sure why. and it uses 5.5 to 6 qts as well. My father's Taurus with a 3.0L duratec was the same way.

The Cavalier I just put whatever in. I once changed the oil with a tree stump. :-p was never concerned about the oil condition I just changed it every 3,000 miles.

I used GTX high mileage in the Caprice, which was amazing on oil. Had 125K on the block, I ran the piss out of the motor, and oil would come out at 3500-4000 in a good condition.

The Subaru seems to be hit and miss. I've always let it past 3,000 a bit in the last year or so, but it always seems due when I changed it. Which is why I used the Durablend this past time. It is a Synthetic blend. Seems to have done good. Maybe I'll just use it again.

PS - Headed down the garage now. :-)

[brucey]

I've been using different mobil 1 since I had the engine rebuilt, changed every 5,000m, but currently it's got walmart oil and walmart filter on it, gonna have an analysis (just had one on my last change with M1) when it comes time to change it to see if it's worth the price difference.

I just don't know if that will ever happen, I've still got over half a tank and I ain't put gas in it in nearly a month. It's such a weird feeling after having to fill up everyday for work. (300+ miles) My mileage is surely going down but I'll be using much less gas.

And yeah, I understand about the roads over there. They don't really fix it, they just put up a sign that says "Roads Broke."

I'm interested in how your transmission mount helps though, let me know your impressions. I never really cared about that vibration at idle.

[Zerohour]

Pictures from today:




No...more...sanding...please?



:laugh:

[Zerohour]

As previously questioned: How do you trim fiberglass? Here's another video. Flap disc on an angle grinder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf36znyA4qs

PS - Always use two hands when using an angle grinder...and wear your personal protective gear!

[Zerohour]

Ugh, bad afternoon...the passenger side is just killing me. I had it 90% trimmed up. and decide to put the hole in for the top mount. That went okay, but I've noticed that it is just not lining up flush on the body. I ended up disecting the forward section and am in the process of fiberglassing it back together.

right now the ratio of driver to passenger side is 1:3 almost 1:4. I'm not sure what has happened, but it seems like the piece has deformed shape while sitting on the table. All I know is that its going to more of PITA to repair and quite literally its border line where I might actually just make another passenger side skirt.

That and its raining, like 5 times more than predicted. The garage is cold, the fiberglass is going to set slow, and there is no chance at paint.

I'm considering scrapping the whole damn thing.